


Five Metres Away

by baekeryneeds



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Drama, JENO IS A DUMBASS AT FIRST, Jealousy, Jeno and Jaemin are secret best friends, Lee Jeno is Whipped, M/M, Outcast! Jeno, but he doesn't know, but later he shows daddy tendencies oop-, drama everywhere, eventual spicy scenes I guess..., nerd!jeno, popular! Jaemin, slight angst, unbetaed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:28:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23430205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/baekeryneeds/pseuds/baekeryneeds
Summary: Jeno and Jaemin leave important things unsaid, It’s usually Jaemin who initiates skinship like this and Jeno figures that Jaemin is just affectionate. (read: Jeno is totally oblivious.) But even so, Jaemin isn’t satisfied with how things are. He just has to know.“Jeno,” He calls as he prepares for the next words that he lets slip from his mouth, “Do you like me?”Jeno’s breath hitches as his body stills. frozen.Jaemin acts on impulse. Jeno feels warmth on his lips. Jaemin indulges.It lasts only mere seconds before he’s suddenly on the floor and Jeno’s standing on the opposite side of the bed.
Relationships: Lee Jeno/Na Jaemin
Comments: 20
Kudos: 180





	1. part 1

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written a fic in like four years goddamn...  
> supposedly, this is gonna be a two-shot? three-shot at most so it will be complete in the next few days.  
> hope you like it~

Lee Jeno fixes the glasses sitting on the bridge of his nose for the nth time, the boys behind him are relentless in their constant teasing, their ‘whispers’ are so soft, his classmates sitting a row in front of him giggle, too, at the nonsensical nicknames they throw at him.The teacher shoots the boys a look, and for a few minutes they concede, after that they’re back at it like the unmannered animals they are.

He doesn’t get why people have to use him as a conversation topic, is his existence such a joke, teenagers talk about him to pass time? He knows he’s awkward, reserved and anti-social but can’t fathom why this still happens to him at this day and age. From elementary school to middle school and now to his second year in high school. Sure, some days they let him live out his existence like he’s invisible but days like this, when he’d just slightly attracted attention to himself, they just couldn’t leave him alone. Today, Lee Jeno had aced a physics test that everyone had gotten below a C for — as his physics teacher, Mr. Kim, proudly praised him much to his classmates’ displeasure.

That did it. By lunch, Moon Bongshik, the guy behind him tripped him as he was walking out of class and Jeno had landed on his palms. The rest is history.

The bell finally rang, signalling the end of the day and the classroom had vacated in a matter of minutes. Jeno deliberately stays behind, taking his time to pack his bag.

“Jeno-ya,”

Jeno looks up at the call of his name, a honey-brown haired boy appear at the seat in front of him, turning the chair around and takes a seat.

“I can hear them from the second row,” He says, brows furrowing, clearly concerned, “I hate it, i hate the things they say, Jen, I already asked our teacher if you could switch seats.”

“Jaemin...” Jeno frowns, “What if someone sees you talking to me?”

Jaemin and Jeno are childhood friends, they grew up together and were/are inseparable. Jaemin has always been the one protecting Jeno, scaring off the bullies after they’d targetted him or fighting back to defend the older. By middle school, Jeno realized his presence would just make things harder for Jaemin and that they should maintain some distance when they’re at school because if Jeno was alone, it was more likely he’d blend into the background and be undisturbed. For awhile it worked, Jaemin also had the time to pursue his club activities and hang out with other people who weren’t Jeno — which with his looks and bright personality had contributed to him becoming the school’s golden boy. Jaemin was reluctant at first but he didn’t want to upset his best friend further and downheartedly agreed. He still defended Jeno, but there were a lot of times he had to hold himself back such as the earlier incident.

“I don’t care at all,” Jaemin sighed, “Let’s go home now.”

“You didn’t have to do that,” Jeno muttered, “Bongshik would’ve forgotten by tomorrow, anyway.”

“No,” Jaemin said through gritted teeth, hands landing on Jeno’s shoulders, ”I don’t even want him near you.”

“Where am I going to sit, then?”

Jaemin patted the sweater on his shoulders, “Next to me!”

“Jaem—!”

“No! Not having it! It’s said and done.” Jaemin covers his ears with his hands, feigning deafness to Jeno’s objections. Jeno’s lips straightens into a thin line in defeat.

* * *

On the walk home, Jaemin takes Jeno’s right hand and inspects his palm. “Does it hurt?”

Jeno shakes his head, bringing his hand back from Jaemin’s grasp.

“Are your parents home?” Jaemin asks. Jeno also shakes his head, no. By the time they reach Jeno’s door, Jaemin naturally invites himself in. He lives next door, it didn’t matter if he came home a little later.

“Nana—” Jeno calls as he locks the front door behind them. Jaemin is quick to envelop the black haired boy in a tight hug, “I really was waiting to do this the entire day.”

Jeno and Jaemin leave important things unsaid, It’s usually Jaemin who initiates skinship like this and Jeno figures that Jaemin is just affectionate. (read: Jeno is totally oblivious.)

Jeno snakes his arms around the other boy’s waist to reciprocate. “You’re so warm, I’m really sleepy,” Jaemin mutters against his ear, sending a short shiver down the other boy’s spine.

“Just go home,” Jeno replies in a heartbeat, “You’re only five metres away, Nana.”

“I don’t want toooooooo,” Jaemin whines, pulling back from the hug and walking up the stairs to Jeno’s room. Jeno suppresses a grin as he follows his best friend in his own house. Jaemin removes his sweater, letting it fall wherever it lands and falls back unto the bed.

He loves this—Jeno’s scent. He can literally smell his shampoo on the pillow. It’s a heaven for him. Jeno enters shortly after, automatically picking up Jaemin’s discarded sweater of the floor and drapes it over his computer chair. He takes off his own sweater and hangs it on the hook behind the door. He sees Jaemin already snuggled in with his pillow, under his blanket. Jeno’s heart subconsciously speeds up, and for a second longer, Jeno lets himself stare.

“Jeno-ya, let’s take a nap,” Jaemin opens his eyes and pats the tiny space next to him on Jeno’s single bed.

Jeno shakes his head and takes out the workbook from his bag.

Jaemin’s face twist at the rejection, and he sighs as he snuggles his face into Jeno’s pillow. He easily succumbs to sleep with the comfort of Jeno’s scent. It only takes half an hour for Jeno to complete the homework and figures he might as well take a nap, too. He takes his glasses off and places it on his desk before making his way to his bed. Jeno tries to squeeze, on his bed, alongside his pillow that Jaemin was snuggling with, and the boy himself. But it just won’t happen. Jeno pulls the pillow from his best friend’s grasp and places it on his chair before laying back down on his bed. It’s then he realizes how small his bed is and how close they are. The last time they slept on this bed together was in middle school, and that was still bearable. But now in highschool, after their growth spurts, maybe it was a tad bit too small. Just a little.

Jeno can feel the warmth of the younger’s breath on his shoulder. At the loss of the pillow he was cuddling into, Jaemin brings his leg and arm over the pillow again only to slowly realize it wasn’t as soft as before.

Jeno gulps at the physical contact, it’s nothing new but he, somehow, feels nervous. He tries to move to a more comfortable position, laying on his side and facing Jaemin directly. Except, after he moves, he realizes it probably wasn’t a good idea because now he feels Jaemin’s breath on his neck and something is pounding so hard, trying to break out of his chest.

He can’t move again because Jaemin stirs in his sleep after Jeno shifted, and notices the pillow he was cuddling with became stiffer. His eyes flutter open slowly, sleep still hanging on his eyelids as he wakes up to his best friend’s face, centimetres apart.

“Ya,” Jaemin mutters, “stop moving so much.”

Jeno’s voice is stuck at his throat for a second, as sleepy, dark eyes stare back at him. He hummed in reply. Jaemin pulls his hand back that was draped over Jeno, and places it against the latter’s chest. By now, he was fully awake, he just wants to lay down a little longer. Jeno flinches at the sudden movement, while Jaemin feels the thumping in the older boy’s chest. It’s just like his own.

Jeno never tells him what he feels all the time, keeps it to himself and waits for Jaemin to get to a conclusion himself. Waits for Jaemin to get frustrated at him. Waits for Jaemin to do something about it. Jeno keeps everything related to himself from Jaemin and if the latter never asks, he’d never know. Jaemin feels his blood boil but even so, he just can’t get angry with the older boy.

Jaemin has always liked Jeno. He had come to terms with that fact when he found that he only wanted to be next to him at all times of the day, everyday. He couldn’t keep his mind off of him at all and couldn’t even keep his hands off of his best friend, letting his touches and gazes linger longer than they’re meant to. Jeno has never rejected any of it, even reciprocating back at times, he never pushes Jaemin away when he’s extra clingy and never even tells him off.

But even so, Jaemin isn’t satisfied with how things are. He just has to know.

“Jeno,” He calls as he prepares for the next words that he lets slip from his mouth, “Do you like me?”

Jeno’s breath hitches as his body stills. frozen.

Jaemin acts on impulse. Jeno feels warmth on his lips. Jaemin indulges.

It lasts only mere seconds before he’s suddenly on the floor and Jeno’s standing on the opposite side of the bed.

It all happens very fast. Jaemin feels the humiliation, feels like his heart’s been ripped from his chest, and he’s out the door in seconds. By the time Jeno is back to his senses, he hears the front door shut.

_‘Do you like me?’_

He hears it echo in his head, over and over again. But that’s wrong, isn’t it? He’s his best friend. Jaemin is just confused and it’s Jeno’s fault that he is, if he hadn’t let Jaemin get too comfortable with touching him, this wouldn’t have happened. If anything, this was Jeno’s fault. They were best friends, it was nothing but a mistake in the heat of the moment.

That’s what he tries to convince himself. Jaemin couldn’t like someone like him. It’s Jeno’s fault he thinks he does.

Jeno barely sleeps that night, not with the anxiety brewing deep in his belly. There’s the leftovers of Jaemin’s scent on his head pillow, and it repeatedly reminds him. He can’t close his eyes without the memory playing as if it was a movie on replay. Jeno finally sends a text at 4, in the early morning.

_[i’m sorry, jaemin. I didnt mean for anything like that to happen, really sorry.]_

He finally drifts off to sleep the last remaining few hours before school. When he wakes up, he immediately checks his phone but there aren’t any new notifications.

Once he was ready for school, he knocks next door only for Jaemin’s mother to open the door. “Eomeonim, is Jaemin ready?”

“He’s quite sick, Jeno, i don’t think he’ll make it for school today.” She says with a gentle smile, patting Jeno lightly on his head.

“Oh, is he okay?”

She nods her head and tells Jeno he should be on his way before he‘s late for school . Jeno bows and greets Jaemin’s mother and leaves.

He sends Jaemin another text message.

_[Nana, get well soon.]_

* * *

As he expected, Jeno is moved to the seat next to Jaemin’s, one of his classmates is quick to say, “Jaemin couldn’t even bring himself to go to school to sit next to that kid!”

Jeno flinches at the careless comment which unknown to everyone else, is probably the most accurate thing at this moment.

He checks his phone in the bathroom during lunch, there isn’t a single message from Jaemin. Jeno knows he really has done it now—he’d really hurt the one person he cares about. He walks out and makes his way to the library, not having any appetite for lunch.

He’s suddenly pulled to the back of a bookshelf, by the collar. He winces at the pressure against his throat. It’s Huang Renjun, Jaemin’s (other) best friend and current Vice President in the school council. He’s in another class and just as Jeno guessed, he asks, “Where’s that dumb idiot? He’s not answering any texts.”

Jeno looks down, not expecting Renjun to have known the truth about the both of them; that they were friends.

“OK, Lee Jeno, yes, I know the truth, just tell me what happened to Na Jaemin. I know you live next door.”

“U-um, His mom said he’s sick.” Jeno says in a whisper, fidgeting with the center of his glasses.

“Sick is sick but why hasn’t he replied my messages? Is he that sick?” Renjun asks rhetorically, giving Jeno a scowl before backing away and throwing him a small wave, disappearing out of the library.

Jeno fixes his collar and tugs at the hem of his sweater before slumping down to the floor. He’s not sure how to apologize to Jaemin at all. He doesn’t want to lose him, not because he is his only friend but because he’s Na Jaemin. He had done more for Jeno than anyone else. Jeno doesn’t know what he’d turn into if he loses him. He won’t let something stupid ruin their friendship.

* * *

At night he calls Jaemin until he picks up. It takes 13 times and he only hears Jaemin breathing through the line when he answers.

“Can I see you?” Jeno grips his phone tightly, nervously.

“No,”

“Okay,” there’s a short pause before Jeno speaks again, “Jaemin... I didn’t mean to offend you when I pushed you away. I–I was shocked and I c-couldn’t think straight—It’s my fault that you’re like this, and I know, you were just confused an—”

“Jeno,” Jaemin cuts him off in a cold voice, “ _What_ did you just say?”

Jeno shudders at the tone of his voice, he’s cut off again when he attempts to speak.

“How is it your fault? What did you do?” Jaemin wants to clarify what he meant when he said Jaemin became like this, because of him. It’s true Jeno was all sorts of things Jaemin really liked but he’s sure that that’s not what the former meant.

“I wa—y-you’ve always been affectionate, and I r-really don’t mind but—no, I—” Jeno keeps stumbling over his words in anxiety so he took a deep breath and continued, “I made you too comfortable a-and you just got confused, isn’t that it?”

Jaemin takes a few seconds before Jeno hears him again, “You don’t even know how i feel! But you’ve come to the conclusion that, somehow, I’m just confused? That no matter what, I couldn’t have done that because I really liked you after over a decade of knowing you? That I would just like you because you return my stupid hugs and play along with my _affectionate_ behaviour?”

Jaemin is seething as he repeats the word ‘affectionate’. He’s so angry he’s almost shouting through the phone.

“I-I’m—” Jeno starts, and ends before he could say anything else as Jaemin cuts him off yet again.

“Don’t you dare,” He challenges, “Don’t.”

Jeno is quiet as he gets a bad feeling about this conversation. He suddenly hears a sob through the line. His heart breaks.

“Do you hate the idea of u-us so fucking much,” Jaemin’s voice cracks as he sobbed, “that you don’t even want to believe that I actually like you?”

Jeno is absolutely speechless.

“Jeno-ya...” Jaemin smiles bitterly through the tears, “I think I love you...”

“Jaemin...” Jeno is overwhelmed, in a bad way. He’s really done it, now.

“I don’t know what you’re so scared of,” Jaemin tries to breathe deeply to calm himself down, “but I’m really tired, too, I can’t even be there for you because you’re so scared of what people think about us? Is that it?”

“N-no!” Jeno is startled, that’s not it!

Jaemin knows but at this point, he can’t be bothered about what’s true or what isn’t, he just wants to get away from Jeno. He’s already rejected him and Jaemin’s already crying after stupidly confessing his love right after. He just wants to run away and hide now.

“I’m sorry, I can’t be friends with you anymore.”

“Jaemin, wa—!” Jeno is met with the dial tone as the call is ended abruptly.

On the other side, Jaemin lets himself fall apart.

* * *

Jeno waits right outside his door like he does every morning, and soon enough, Jaemin appears. Having expected this, Jaemin barely looks at him and walks past him, completely ignoring his presence.

“Jaemin, can we talk, please?” Jeno’s plead falls to deaf ears as a motorcycle arrives on the street in front of their houses.

“Jae—” Jeno calls only to be interrupted by the biker.

“Na Jaemin,” The biker pulls his helmet off,as he flashes a smirk towards the honey-brown haired boy, “you finally called.”

“Sunbae,” Jeno sees Jaemin smile at the person no other than, Huang Xuxi or Lucas, he calls himself. Third Year senior from Hong Kong or something, known best for his looks and weird accent that the entire female population swoons over. He’s deserving of the title and probably knows it, too, as he brings a hand to comb through his dark chocolate locks out of habit.

Lucas opens his compartment, taking out another helmet and passing it to Jaemin. He seems to have finally notice Jeno looking at them for so long, “You know him, Nana?”

Jeno flinches at his use of Jaemin’s nickname. Jaemin doesn’t even turn around. “Just a neighbour. Let’s go, I don’t want to be late.”

Lucas still waves and smiles at Jeno as Jaemin gets on behind him, wrapping his arms around the taller’s waist.

Jeno feels something in his stomach twist. He blinks, and just as before, he was alone again.

* * *

Jeno hesitantly sits next to Jaemin in class, he feels the air thin as he settles down. He hates this feeling, the tightness in his chest distracts him from everything. He just wants things to go back to the way they were. Jaemin doesn’t spare him a single glance, they were sitting so close and yet Jeno feels like he’s five metres away.

As soon as the bell rings for lunch, Jaemin is quick to leave the class. Jeno sighs as he drags his feet out, slowly, letting Jaemin get the space he needs from him. But Huang Renjun stops Jaemin in the middle of the hallway, blabbering about how everyone’s talking about Na Jaemin coming into school with Huang Xuxi.

“How did THAT happen, Jaem?” He questions and then whispers (but Jeno makes it out anyway), “Does Jeno know?”

He’s unlucky enough to be at close distance at the mention of his name which brings Renjun to look up and say, “Ah, speak of the devil,”

Jeno nods as a greeting and starts to walk off.

“Ya, Lee Jeno,” Renjun talks in a different tone, his vice-president tone, “Your hair’s no longer acceptable, make sure you trim it before I give you a slip.”

Jeno’s hair has always been long, always almost covering his eyes and half his ears, but he guesses now he just looks like a homeless ghost.He nods again before walking briskly away, slightly glancing at Jaemin who’s looking in the opposite direction from him.

Renjun seems to notice the air between the two boys and changes the subject expertly. “On friday, I’ll pick you up. Turns out my older sister’s boyfriend, Johnny, is Mark’s friend too so he’s invited to his party. He’s driving!”

Jaemin probably hasn’t told the shorter boy yet.

Jeno walks out of earshot and doesn’t hear anymore. Jaemin usually skipped out on those parties and hung out with Jeno. They’d go to public places like cafes or catch a movie while maintaining their stupid secret. After everything that’s been said, Jeno feels what he suggested had truly been a stupid mistake on his part but then again, he just didn’t want Jaemin to be a part of his misfortunes—but he realizes now that he should’ve just let things be.

He takes a seat at an empty table in the cafeteria and picks at the food on his tray. Jaemin and Renjun are about to sit with their friends when Lucas shouts for Jaemin—grabbing everyone’s attention towards them. Renjun follows Jaemin to the seniors’ table. The girls are freaking out as second year, campus’ golden boy, Na Jaemin sits next to third year, campus’ king, Huang Xuxi. It’s a table with all the popular seniors, Lee Mark, Xiao Dejun and Lucas’ cousin, Huang Guangheng or Hendery.

Jeno watches from the side how Jaemin smiles at Lucas as he throws another seemingly inside joke that makes the entire table burst into laughter. In Jeno’s head, that’s the kind of guy Jaemin should like. Not someone like him. Even with such a fact, Jeno can’t seem to bring himself to be happy for his best friend. Instead, he feels a bitter taste in his mouth, in his bones through his skin, and it isn’t from the food he’s eating.

“Found you, Hyung!” Jeno’s attention is diverted to a bouncing teenager in front of him. It’s Park Jisung, his cousin who’s a first year. He brings a boy slightly shorter than him, who looks chinese, and has a cheerful look; Jeno can’t find the words to describe him, honestly.

“My classmate, Zhong Chenle,” Jisung introduces as he sits and sets his food tray on the table, Chenle naturally following after. “Chenle, my cousin, Lee Jeno. He’s a second year!”

Jisung slightly boasts, although Jeno thinks it’s nothing to be proud about considering his lowly reputation. He gives a small smile to the other boy. “Nice to meet you, sunbae-nim!”

Jeno waves him off to drop such formality, “Hyung is fine.”

“Hyung, you know what?” Jisung looks at the seniors’ table. “You’re staring at Jaemin hyung too much again. It’s real easy to find you, hehehe.”

Jisung teases, but that’s how he’s always been. Before, his teasing would earn him as much as a smack at the back of his head for joking around but now, Jeno thinks that maybe his constant teasing did have to start from somewhere. Has he always looked at Jaemin too much?

Jeno shakes his head at the comment, taking a spoonful of rice into his mouth. Jisung crinkles his nose at his failed attempt of annoying his cousin and changes the topic, “Hyung, guess what!”

“Ung,” He releases a sound for Jisung to continue on.

“Chenle’s really close to Dejun-sunbae, and he got invited to Mark-sunbae’s party on friday and I’m his plus one! Isn’t that great!”

His younger cousin is absolutely overjoyed and his classmate Chenle is all smiles.

“That’s great, Jisung. Make some friends.” Unlike me, Jeno thinks.

Jisung nods as he finally starts to eat. Jeno glances one more time to the right where Jaemin is sitting. He doesn’t expect to make eye contact with him and Jaemin looks away almost immediately.

It also doesn’t miss Jeno that Lucas currently has his arm draped over Jaemin’s shoulders. Jeno removes his glasses and sets it down next to his tray. He wishes he was blind.

* * *

It’s been two days since their conversation on the phone, and Jaemin still hasn’t talked to him. He’s adamant on pretending that Jeno isn’t there. In class, when they’re asked to discuss with their seatmates, Jaemin doesn’t even open his mouth and as soon as the bell rings, he’s out the door. Jeno is having a hard time trying to ignore the loss of Jaemin’s presence in his life. He definitely feels like shit.

On his way back home, he decides to stop by the barber shop to trim his hair as he’s been stopped a few times in the hallways by the hall monitors for untidy appearance. He’s not looking for any more attention on himself so he finally goes to get it done and over with.

The barber isn’t the usual old man, and it’s someone younger, but Jeno doesn’t question this and simply asks for a trim.

“Ah, you’re from SM high too?”

Jeno nods awkwardly, feeling a conversation starting as he sits on the chair.

“I’ve graduated a few years back,” The older boy flashes a smile at him through the mirror, “Gosh, this uniform brings back memories.”

Jeno does his best to return a simple smile as he takes his glasses off and places it on the table im front of him. The boy grabs his overgrown bangs and flips it up, “Your eye smile is very nice, let’s show it a bit more, yea?”

Before Jeno can say that he just wants his hair a bit shorter, the boy has moved fast and cut a chunk of his hair on his left, and he can actually see the tip of his ears now. “You’ve got very nice features, I’m sure you must be popular in school. What’s your name?”

Jeno isn’t sure how to respond, but tells the older boy his name.

“Ah... Jeno-ssi, that’s unique.”

“And you?” Jeno decides to ask, out of politeness.

“Moon Taeil. My uncle owns this shop but i’m just a part timer here.” He says as if he’s used to it.

Taeil puts down the scissors and grabs a brush to brush the strands of hair around his neck away. Jeno feels weird looking at himself in the mirror. The trim... he’s not even sure if can call it a trim because he looks entirely like a different person. He prepares to stand up when Taeil takes the apron away but Taeil presses him back down.

“Wait a sec,” Taeil grabs a container from one of the shelves and uncaps it, Jeno knows it’s wax. “It’s Friday, you’re probably heading out, aren’t you?”

Taeil’s fingers work their way through his hair and gives him a side parting, pushing half his bangs away from his face, showing even more. “There, how does that look? I’m good, right?”

Jeno absolutely has no idea who the guy in the mirror is but when he stands up, he bows politely to thank Taeil and takes out his wallet.

“The next time you come, look for me or mention me, uncle will give you a discount!”

Jeno exits the shop and feels much of the wind hit his face like never before. He takes his glasses off, noticing that it’s slightly blurry and prepares to clean it off with the hem of his shirt when he’s suddenly bumped onto, and drops it. The girl quickly apologizes to him and rushes off again, and just as Jeno can bend down to pick his glasses up, a bicycle zooms past him and he hears the sound of glass cracking. Yeah... that’s just what he needed.He makes his way home half blind.

His mother is home early and notices her son’s new get up, “What’s the occasion?”

Jeno shakes his head, “The new part timer at the barber’s cut my hair too short.”

“Are you wearing contacts?” His mother is also worried that this may not be her son.

“No,” Jeno sighs, “I dropped it, and it broke.”

“Ah... OK,” His mother clicks her tongue at her son’s carelessness but she knows how careful Jeno really is, and understands accidents just happen. “We can order new ones during the weekends but you’ll only pick it up a few days after. You should use the contacts I got for you until then, you still haven’t opened it. It’s not good to walk around half blind.”

Jeno just nods at his mother and makes his way to his room. His eyes land on the sweater draped over his chair. He hasn’t given it back to Jaemin yet because he doesn’t know how to approach him. The younger was avoiding him like a plague, and he didn’t want Jaemin’s parents to know that they were on bad terms. Their mothers talk everyday, he didn’t want his mother to worry too.

Jeno tries to start his homework but realizes that reading gets trickier with his damaged eyes and finally finds the will to look for his contact lens.

After writing a lengthy essay and completing his worksheets, a good two hours had passed and it was way past 8pm. It was still early so Jeno decided to play some games but it wasn’t the same without Jaemin. Usually, their friday nights were spent with each other, staying late in each other’s house playing games or watching movies. It’s his first friday night alone in a long while, he’s really missing the honey-brown haired boy more and more as time passes. He’s not sure how long Jaemin will take this time, it’s the longest they’ve been on non-speaking terms.

His phone vibrates on the table. A text message from Jisung.

_[ Hyung, Jaemin-hyung is drinking a lot, he’s attracting a looooot of attention, it’s really funny. Y aren’t u here?]_

Jeno’s brows meet in worry, Jaemin knows he doesn’t handle alcohol well. He’s worried but it’s not like he can do anything about it.

_[ Make sure you both are safe. Take care, enjoy your night. ]_

He hits send and resumes the game that he has no chance of winning at all. It isn’t much later when his phone vibrates and rings. It’s a call. At the sight of the caller ID, Jeno almost throws his mouse off the desk. He leaves the game unpaused as he scrambles to pick up his phone.

“Jaem—”

“I don’t think Jaemin is okay,” It’s Renjun on the other end of the line, “I have to get home already but he’s insistent on staying and I don’t trust any of these motherfuckers to keep him safe—they’re all damn drunk!”

He hears a loud laughter in the background, and he knows it’s Jaemin.

“Anyway, I’ll send you the address,” Renjun pauses to talk to someone.

“I don’t think he wants to see me right now,” Jeno quickly says.

“I don’t give a damn,” Renjun spits back before whining, “come collect the idiot because he’s way too drunk and won’t listen to me and I’m way too tipsy for this! Bye!”

The call ends and Jeno doesn’t need another minute before he throws on his jeans, a hoodieand he’s out the door.

“Where are you going?” His mother sees him from the living room.

“I’ll be back quick,” Jeno says as he ties his shoelaces. “Jaemin’s in trouble—well, he’s fine but I need to go get him.”

“Hurry, hurry, it’s getting late.” His mother has a concerned expression on her face as she nags about how he shouldn't take South Korea's security for granted.

* * *

Jeno arrives slightly before midnight, Lee Mark’s neighbourhood looks like a part of Gangnam. The houses all look like they can individually make it to magazines and must cost a fortune. Mark's house has tall walls surrounding it, Jeno feels small just standing outside. He's lucky the gate is left unlocked as he casually turns up uninvited, but no one seems to care. There’s teenagers passed out on the front yard, and red plastic cups strewn everywhere.

He spots Jaemin almost immediately through the big glass windows. He’s sat in a circle with a bunch of other kids and they’re spinning a bottle in the middle. Jeno’s never attended any parties in his lifetime, and he sure wasn’t getting interested now. It smelled so strongly of alcohol and if first years like Jisung were getting invited, he wants absolutely no part in it.

He notices people looking at him as if they’ve never seen him before but he keeps walking until he’s in the house and sees the big living room. He doesn’t spot Jisung or his friend, Chenle anywhere and he assumes that’s a good thing. The bottle in the center of the circle stops in front of a girl and the entire circle erupts in cheers. “OK! OK! SECOND ROUND OF SPIN THE BOTTLE! PARK JIWOO AND BAEK KISEON!”

He watches the guy shyly walk towards the girl before smashing his lips on hers in a kiss too awkward to even explain. Jeno cringes as the circle cheers. The kiss ends quickly enough and the guy returns to his position. It’s the turn of the guy next to him. It’s Na Jaemin.

“OK NA JAEMIN,” Some random guy announces like it’s his job, “YOUR TURN.”

Jaemin’s face is flushed and his eyes are droopy. He looks like he’s about to drop at any minute. Just how much has he drunk? He finally spins the bottle and it lands in between two guys Jeno has recognized as Hendery and Lucas. The mouth of the bottle is pointing more towards Hendery but Hendery adjusts the bottle towards his cousin like it’s all part of the game and says, “No one saw anything~”

The group of teenagers are in high spirits, excited as if they played this game just to see these two kiss. “LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, NA JAEMIN AND LUCAS! is it just me or it’s getting hot in here?”People laugh and cheer as the two boys stand up.

A girl passing by just had to distract Jeno at this moment by clinging onto him as she falls. Jeno balances himself straightaway, the girl doesn’t even look sorry, she’s just trying to get his attention. “Oppa, sorry.”

Jeno doesn’t spend another second at the distraction and gazes up in time to see the tall senior connecting his lips with his best friend's. Jaemin raises his arms to wrap around the taller’s neck as the two steadily make out in front of a bunch of strangers.

Jeno can’t describe the pain in his chest.

“Ya! Ya! Ya! Get a room!”

Lucas and Jaemin finally separates their lips to laugh at the jokes being thrown around but Lucas smirks, looking smug and greedy, and lifts Jaemin up by his thighs, connecting their mouths like before. The girls in the circle are shocked and the guys have all jumped around screaming.

“Wah Daebak...”

“Bro, is this porn?”

”I wanna be Jaemin right now.”

There’s a lot of things being said in the room. Jeno tunes them all out as he sets his eye on one person only. He feels the heat in his blood as he marches over to the center of the circle and pries Jaemin off of Lucas in one move. Jaemin and him stumble a few steps back.

The entire place is suddenly silent. The atmosphere dampens.

“Mwo-ya, who’s that?” Attention is all over the spoilsport that is Lee Jeno. But no one recognizes him in his new hair and especially, without his glasses.

“J-jeno?” Jaemin steps back, losing his balance but Jeno straightens him up by grabbing him by the waist.

“Let’s go home.” Jeno pulls him by the hand and he forcefully drags him out of the house. They don’t hear the comments being passed around about the guy who ruined the most awaited kiss of the night.

“Did he just say Jeno?”

“No way! As in Lee Jeno?”

“Who else? No one else is named Jeno...”

“Seriously? Lee Jeno? Is there something in my eyes? He looked quite handsome?”

“Girl... you’re right, it can’t be him...”

* * *

Just as they exit the gates, Jaemin retracts his hand from Jeno’s tight grasp before stumbling from the force, and manages to land his back on the wall. His words come out slurred, “W-what are you doing herehh?”

“Let’s go home,” Jeno says quietly. For some reason, his head feels hot. He feels like he wants to shout at the other boy, but he doesn’t. “You can barely even walk.”

“No!”

Jeno sighs as he walks towards the drunk boy. He raises his wrist to Jaemin’s face as the flushed boy looks at him in confusion. Jeno uses the sleeve of his hoodie and wipes Jaemin’s mouth with it.

“Why?” Jeno asks softly, in a disappointed tone, “...Did you like it? Do you like him?”

Jaemin tries to push Jeno away but Jeno doesn’t even budge. He can’t find the strength to even stand or think anymore but he says, “I’m sorry.”

Jaemin lets his eyes close and falls forward.

* * *

Jeno pays the taxi driver the fare and carries an unconscious Jaemin out of the car. Before readjusting and carrying him on his back. There was no way Jaemin’s mother would accept him in a state like this at almost one in the middle of the night so he carries Jaemin all the way to his room and puts him to bed. Jaemin reeks of alcohol, he had probably spilled some all over himself. Jeno sighs as he tries to shake the other awake for the dozenth time. Jaemin groans and shifts his body but he has no intention of opening his eyes.

“Jaemin, we need to wash you up.”

Jeno sits the boy up and moves to take his shirt off. Jaemin has the audacity to refuse, and tugs it back down.

“N-no,” He whines, body slumping forward. Jeno hopes he doesn’t vomit on the bed.

“I have to clean you up, Jaem,” Jeno says patiently, before trying again. Jaemin is almost as insistent as he is, finally blinking his eyes open.

“Yurrr handsome buttt I d-don’t want to sleeeep witheu youhhh—”

“Okay.” Jeno finally takes his shirt off and tries to get Jaemin to stand.

“N-nooooo,” He suddenly whines out loud, “Jeno will be madddd at meeee!”

Jeno presses his lips in a straight line, “Jeno is already mad at you.”

Jaemin pouts at his words and looks like he’s about to cry. Jeno drags him off the bed and walks him to the bathroom with ease.

“Where’s Jeno?” Jaemin looks confused and it’s as if his eyes will close at anytime.

Jeno sighs and answers, “in front of you.”

Jeno wipes his skin with a soaked cloth, making sure whatever he spilled on himself is wiped entirely off.

“You’re Jeno?” Jaemin says flatly and then smiles, “fuck, it is youuuu, i like you so much, you knowww?”

Before Jeno can respond, Jaemin starts to gag and heave. He reacts quickly enough to move the other in front of the toilet and soothes Jaemin’s back while he clings onto it for dear life and empties his stomach.

Jaemin brings himself up and rinses his mouth himself, sobering up a little. Jeno grabs Jaemin’s toothbrush and puts toothpaste for him, then watches as Jaemin puts in his mouth but doesn’t make an attempt to move. He breathes another sigh before brushing his teeth for him and finishes up in the bathroom.

Jaemin is lying on his bed, in his shirt, a few minutes later. Just as Jeno tries to leave his room to get an extra futon, his arm is suddenly held back. Jaemin is looking at him through half-lidded eyes and his words come out as a whisper, “don’t leave... stay.”

His hand is tugged hard enough to make him sit on his bed, and Jaemin tugs again for Jeno to lie next to him. Jeno is exhausted as well, so he concedes and sets himself beside the other boy.

Jaemin snuggles closer towards the warmth, and Jeno lets him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hohoho  
> it feels good to be invested in another ship-i haven't been like this since 2016 for chanbaek lololol  
> nomin is so real, i came back to kpop just to watch NCT...
> 
> also I've just realised jeno's cat is also named bongshik,, mood he's getting bullied by his own cat


	2. Part 2

Jaemin wakes up a few hours later, completely disoriented, not knowing where he is or what happened at the party. It takes a few seconds for everything to come back to him.

_Right._

Lee Mark’s birthday.

A lot of beer. A lot of whiskey.

A lot of soju. A lot of vodka.

Loud music. Lucas.

Games. Lucas. Kissing Lucas.

Jeno. Jeno’s house.

And at this moment, amidst the chaos in his head, he also realizes he’s comfortably snuggled into Jeno’s chest. He tries to shift his body, but his head throbs at every movement he makes. Last night was such a mess. He can’t believe he did that. How did Jeno even get there? Was he so shit-faced drunk he imagined an angry looking Jeno or was he actually mad?

Jaemin turns to face the window, inwardly cursing as he endures the headache that follows after. Then, he searches for his phone and finds it on the bedside table charging. He turns it on and sees a lot of notifications. There’s messages from Renjun, Lucas, and his other friends. He reads Renjun’s first.

11.27pm

[ i called jeno over, sending u this even tho im right next to u]

11.45pm

[text me when u get home u alcoholic]

[don’t hate me for bringing in jeno,, i know u want to fix things w him]

12.20am

[bitch are u home]

12.27am

[ok... nvm just saw a vid of u. i need updates as soon as u wake up ok]

[wtf i cant believe u]

[i leave u for 15 mins and THAT happens]

Jaemin mentally prepares himself because there’s a video... He prays it’s not something so regrettable. It is currently four in the morning, he doubts Renjun is still awake so he sends him a simple ‘im safe’ and moves on to the next chat.

12.15am

[im sorry did i go too far?]

[text me when you’re home]

They’re messages from Lucas, Jaemin is surprised he can remember most of what happened but they’re still choppy. He knows for sure, he kissed Lucas before Jeno appeared and after that, his next memory is of him in the bathroom in Jeno’s house.

He sends him a text saying he’s okay and breathing before opening another chat with his friend in student council, Head of Events, Lee Donghyuck.

12.25am

[DUDE theres a video of you making out w lucas]

[AND SOME OTHER GUY BUTTS IN and takes YOU AWAY??? is thERE A BOYFRIEND I HAVENT HEARD ABT]

[wait hold up i saved the video for you before mark gets it deleted]

[ _video_ ]

Jaemin plays it immediately. The video starts with Lucas and him getting up and people cheering. He watches on as he lets Lucas kiss him until he couldn’t breathe. He isn’t sure of what was going through his head but he just really wanted to not think about Jeno for once. He watches the both of them separate for a second before Lucas manages to carry him up and kiss him hard. Fuck, and he looks like he’s enjoying it too. And then, Jeno comes into the picture; he looks different from usual, maybe that’s why Donghyuck doesn’t recognise him. Jaemin can’t properly see Jeno’s face but the way he strode over to them, and him grabbing—snatching—Jaemin off of Lucas, looked like he was furious.Jeno dragged him away quickly and the video ends abruptly.

12.26am

[ who is he i demand answers ]

Before Jaemin can type his reply, he feels a hand on his arm. He drops his phone to the floor.

“Shit,” He muttered, “J-jeno,”

Jeno sits up and rubs his eyes, instinctively reaching for the bedside table over Jaemin, except his glasses aren’t there so he reaches for the lamp and turns it on instead.

“It’s still early, are you feeling okay?"

Jaemin sits up as well, “I-I’m okay, it’s just my head.”

“I’ll get you some panadol.” Jeno shifts to get off the bed. Jaemin is unsure of what he should say next and watches as the other makes his way out of the room. He tries to get himself together, mentally slapping himself for drinking so much. He knows he can’t handle alcohol well, but he played all those drinking games and even drank when he didn’t lose. Okay, but he really wanted to forget. Ah, damn him and damn Lee Jeno.

“Here,” Jeno hands him a mug of water and two tablets.

“Thanks,” Jaemin mutters softly, swallowing the medicine swiftly. God, even tilting his head sends throbbing waves through his head. He’ll never drink again.

“You didn’t have to go there...”

“You would’ve slept there then? With... Lucas?” Jeno tried not to sound jealous. Keyword: tried. Jaemin is taken aback at the mention of the other boy’s name.

“N-no...? I mean,” Jaemin tries to think of an excuse but can’t come up with any, “nevermind, I’ll head home for now.”

Jaemin gets up only to find he had no shorts on. He quickly sits back down. It occurs to him that Jeno had to help him get into new clothes so... Jeno stripped him. At this thought, Jaemin feels the heat rush to his face.

“I was really worried,” Jeno says out of nowhere

“What for? I have enough friends to take care of me the—”

“No, not about last night.” Jeno looks at him intently, “I was worried you wouldn’t come back... to me.”

Jaemin’s traitorous heart hammers loudly in his chest.

“You’re right, I was scared,” Jeno inches closer to him, “I was scared you’d get hurt because of me. Scared you might think enough is enough and actually leave me, so that day when we graduated from middle school, I told you to keep your distance so that you could be safe from all of it, and I wouldn’t have to risk losing you.”

Jaemin’s eyes start to water, and looks away. He had been so caught up in his own feelings and had been selfish. He knows this, but even still, Jeno would have never said this if they hadn’t fought.

“You...” Jaemin holds his tears back, “You never tell me how you feel. When you’re hurt, I have to watch from afar. Do you know how that makes me feel? How can I call myself Lee Jeno’s best friend when I can’t even have lunch together with you for the past two years? You keep things to yourself and expect me to just know and—”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to worry but, I understand now. We can go back to the way things were before high school, I’m sorry, it was a stupid suggestion and I admit that.” Jeno swallows before continuing, “and that day...”

Jaemin’s eyes widen at what he thinks the older boy is going to bring up and shakes his head, “No—it’s okay.”

He doesn’t need to hear another rejection.

“No,” Jeno insists, “Na Jaemin, listen,”

Jaemin can hardly breathe.

“Watching you being with someone else... and not in a friendly way, and then watching him hold you.... watching you kiss someone else, I—” Jeno takes another deep breath before closing his eyes as he admits it to Jaemin and himself, “I hate it.”

Jaemin’s brain refuses to work, and can’t actually process what his best friend had just said.

“Jaemin,” Jeno calls his attention back, “Do you like Lucas?”

“Yes,” He says.

Jeno’s face falls and he shifts to move under the covers. “I see, okay... as long as you—”

“You’re such an idiot, seriously,” Jaemin laughs until the tears come, “Lee Jeno, do you like me?”

Jeno’s expression is indescribable, he just shakes his head, “No, I think I love you.”

Jaemin’s chuckling halts as he looked up at Jeno’s still serious gaze and is suddenly pulled by the arm into his chest, caught in an embrace.

“Can you say it again?” Jaemin asks in a small voice.

“I think I love you,” Jaemin can feel the small vibrations on his chest as the other boy talks.

“Me too,” Jaemin grins, “I think I love you, too.”

Jeno flips the both of them around so that Jaemin is at the bottom and he’s hovering above him. Jaemin feels like the air is sucked out of his lungs at the sight of Jeno being this close... and on top of him. It feels like one of his hopeless wet dreams. Jeno stares at the boy below him, and he has never truly appreciated how simply beautiful Na Jaemin is.

“Jaemin,” He calls.

“Yes?”

“Can I kiss you?”

Jaemin doesn’t even answer and just grabs him by the neck, smashing their lips together. Jeno takes his time molding his lips with Jaemin’s soft ones, and he tastes sweet, with a hint of alcohol still lingering in his mouth. He feels like he might get drunk and even with their lips connected, he feels like they aren’t close enough. His tongue slips into Jaemin’s easily and the other boy is taken aback, eyes suddenly opening and moans into the kiss. He tries to push Jeno away to speak but Jeno doesn’t relent and kisses the other boy harder, Jaemin gives in and lets his fingers roam around the back of Jeno’s neck and head, he can’t even think straight anymore, and lets Jeno take what’s rightfully his.

Jeno eventually pulls away as they both chase their breaths and lays next to Jaemin.

“I’ll make sure you won’t remember kissing the other guy.” Jeno means every word.

Jaemin is flustered, and flushed, “I- I don’t think I will.”

_If you kiss me like that again, I might forget my name, too._

* * *

Lee Jeno and Na Jaemin walk into school together. No one seems to care until they enter their classroom and their classmates start to think that the taller is a transfer student. Then, they see his name tag, and him taking a seat right next to Na Jaemin.

The girls are shocked, having never paid much attention to their ghostly classmate. The guys suddenly feel insecure, they feel like they’ve lost a bet. No one wants to admit it out loud but in whispers, it spreads like wildfire throughout the school: Lee Jeno is very handsome, is second in academics in the entire second year cohort, and is close to Golden Boy, Na Jaemin.

“You look pretty today,” Jaemin suddenly hears from beside him. He hits his seatmate lightly on the thigh, “D-don’t just say things like that.”

“You told me to tell you what I’m feeling or thinking,” Jeno reasons smartly, “and I think you’re pretty.”

Jaemin flushes bright pink, trying to maintain his attention on their teacher, who is giving a brief for their new project.

“I will be splitting all of you into pairs for the 3 week project. Unfortunately, we have an odd number of students in this class and this project is strictly for two people. So, as priorly discussed, Na Jaemin will be partnered with Class 2-C’s Lee Donghyuk.”

Jaemin is satisfied having been partnered up with someone he’s close to but he’s disappointed he didn’t get Jeno. He hates assigned groupings, especially now that he and Jeno can be openly friendly with each other, he just wants to grab at every opportunity.

“Oh Saera and Lee Heesoo,”

“Shin Minseok and Baek Kiseon,”

“Lee Jeno and Go Naeun,”

Go Naeun sits directly behind Jaemin, she was quite popular with the guys but as far as he knew she was quite nice. Naeun taps Jeno by the shoulder, causing both boys to look back at her.

“I look forward to working with you,” She curves her lips into a small smile, “ _Lee Jeno_.”

Jaemin feels a chill down his spine the way Jeno’s name rolled off her tongue. Is it just him or did she seem like she was flirting with Jeno?

Jeno nods in acknowledgement towards the girl, before turning back to the front. Jaemin is thankful that even if the entire world changes, Jeno will remain the same.

As soon as the class is dismissed, Huang Renjun is at hallway waiting for Jaemin to appear. “NA JAEMIN!” He shouts as soon as the honey-brown haired boy steps out of the door.

“God, that weekend felt like years.” Renjun sighs dramatically, “So how’s—oh, hey Jeno!”

Jeno trailed behind Jaemin like a lost puppy. Jeno greets Renjun with a small wave.

“OK, Jeno, honestly, I had no hope in you,” Renjun looks him dead in the eye before grinning widely, “Who would’ve known you’d actually have the guts to steal Na Jaemin from Lucas?!”

Renjun pats his chest playfully, ”You know I was so shocked when I found out Jaemin was actually friends with you and that he had huge crush on—”

“Okaaaay, Renjun,” Jaemin slides into the middle of the two boys and drags his shorter friend by the shoulder, heading towards the cafeteria, “Let’s go and eat.”

“Your boyfriend’s getting a lot of attention,” Renjun says as he spots a lot of girls staring at the guy walking behind them. “Look at them, do something about it, Nana.”

“Ssssh! He’s not.... not my boyfriend,” Jaemin aggressively whispers to Renjun.

“What?” Renjun gawks, “You said you kissed? And he confessed? What? Am I missing something?”

“... I don’t know, I didn’t ask,” Jaemin bit his lip, “I mean you can’t just ask ‘are you my boyfriend now?’ ... I didn’t want to ruin the moment.”

Renjun is shocked at the two idiots, “Both of you are actual dumbasses...”

Renjun glances behind the both of them, at Jeno, and he says, “Lee Jeno, Jaemin’s cold so... give him your sweater.”

He sticks out a hand as the trio stops in their tracks, Jaemin is confused but pinches Renjun in the arm, and gets pinched back by the latter. Jeno looks at Jaemin for confirmation but before Jaemin can answer, Jeno has his fingers around the hem of his sweater and Jaemin watches as his uniform shirt rides up a little, revealing the milky skin below it. Jaemin swallows at the sight, flushing a deep red. He wasn’t even thinking dirty thoughts but _fuck_ , _was Lee Jeno handsome as hell._

Jeno hands the sweater to Renjun and Jaemin pulls it over his head immediately. The girls at the side witnessed the exchange, Renjun and Jaemin have completely achieved the opposite of their wanted outcome because now the girls are swooning over Jeno’s slight show of skin. Jeno has always worn a sweater in school, which covered his arms fully; because the school is mostly air-conditioned and he gets cold easily. Without the navy blue sweater, his white uniform shirt makes him look a dozen times more attractive.

“Do you feel better?” Jeno asks, and Jaemin nods his head, bashfully basking in his best friend’s scent. Thank god his sweater was still in the wash but if Jeno wouldn’t mind, he might as well give it to him to wear and give it back to Jaemin when it starts to smell like cinnamon and mint; like Jeno.

Later, Jeno finally gets to sit on the same table as Jaemin does. A caramel-haired boy skips towards the table and sits on the empty seat next to Jaemin.

“Lee Donghyuck, this is Lee J—” Jaemin attempts an introduction but gets cut off.

“Lee Jeno,” Donghyuck grins, “I heard so much about you!”

“Hi?” Jeno greets unsurely, unable to match the other boy’s sunny disposition.

“So how did you befriend our Na Jaemin?” Donghyuck asks Jeno, with a curious smile, of course.

“Um,” Jeno looks at Jaemin for a second before answering, “Well, he pushed me at the playgroundby accident and I ended up getting a huge graze on my knee but he was the one who was crying really loudly... and then we found out we were neighbours—”

“Wait, you guys still go to playgrounds at this age?”

Renjun slaps Donghyuck at the back of his head, “Idiot, it’s when they were children and wow, that's literally the longest I've ever heard him talk.”

“Childhood friends?” Donghyuck’s eyes are as wide as they get.

Jaemin nods at the embarrassing story, he had been really scared he might have killed Jeno, his mom did say at the time that if he played rough and gets hurt all the time, germs will get in and destroy his body. The graze on Jeno’s knee was quite big, he was scared so he cried.

“So all this time, your childhood friend is this handsome and,” Donghyuck dramatically pauses, “you kept him to yourself? Wow, Na Jaemin is on a whole new level of possessive.”

Jaemin throws a soft punch into Donghyuck’s gut as the latter laughs and fakes hurt. “It’s not like that.”

“All I did was cut my hair,” Jeno says as a matter of factly.

“And lose those awful glasses,” Renjun adds, “I mean who wears rectangle-framed spectacles at this day and age?”

Jeno remains silent unsure of how to answer. In all honesty, he’d always been wearing the same design during elementary school, when he got it changed in middle school, he’d chosen the same. He knew how trendy circle frames were but he didn’t like the look of it and he could really care less about trends. On Sunday, Jaemin chose a thinner round-squarish frame. He has to collect it tomorrow after school. He hates picking at his eyes just to take out the contacts, he had barely worn these before so of course, he can’t be a professional at taking them out. Just last night, he spent a full three minutes on one eye.

He notices a slight change in the atmosphere when the entire cafeteria becomes a notch quieter, everyone’s attention on a certain tall senior approaching the table.

“Sunbae,” Jaemin greets upon noticing his appearance.

“Jaemin,” Huang Xuxi, or Lucas, seems upset, slightly pouting, “You haven’t answered my texts.”

Jaemin bites his lip, having been driven to a corner but musters an excuse right away, “I’m sorry, I was busy with my family over the weekend.”

“Right, sorry,” Lucas rubs the back of his neck, smiling shyly in front of the honey-brown haired boy. “Are we still good?”

“Y-yes, of course? Of course, we are! Haha,” Jaemin assures the other, not hoping to offend him in anyway.

“Good, I’ll see you on Thursday.” Lucas doesn’t wait for the other to reply and bolts off. Next to Jaemin, a certain someone has his jaw clenched tight.

Donghyuck and Renjun exchange looks, laughing as they teased Jaemin.

“What’s on Thursday?” Donghyuck curiously asks.

“He’s watching Lucas’ final basketball game with his other senior friends.” Renjun smirks, side-eyeing Jeno to see his reaction but the latter remains composed.

“Oh?” Donghyuck raises a brow, “So not only did he willingly share a full-blown kiss with you, he invited you to his last game and—”

“Ya,” Jaemin shakes his head, and glares at the both of then, gesturing towards Jeno. “It’s not like that, stop it.”

The two boys get the hint, just laughing it off as they continue to eat. Jaemin feels sorry for letting his bestfriend, crush... and future boyfriend (God, can he say that?) hear any of that. He leans closer to Jeno and whispers, “I’m sorry.”

Jeno just nods, not making any eye contact. Jaemin suddenly feels tension in the air between them.

As soon as Jeno emptied his food tray, he dragged the other through the hallways, ignoring the looks from the other students. Jaemin brings him to the staircase next to the clubrooms at the other end of the building, that usually stays emptyuntil after school. No one really uses the staircase because it went directly to the roof, which is locked for safety purposes, from the second floor where the clubrooms are.

Jeno silently follows Jaemin up the stairs and when he finally stops, he finds Jaemin’s arms wrapped around his neck. “Are you mad?”

Jeno responds by pushing Jaemin against the wall, and slamming his lips on his. Jaemin is satisfied with himself, bringing them to a place like this... during school. He lets himself be ravished by the other boy, feeling hands slip under his uniform and touching his skin, sending waves of electricity through his body.

Jaemin arches his back when Jeno’s fingers graze a ticklish spot at the bottom of his back. This sends his front forward, rubbing the other’s heat, earning him a low moan from Jeno. Jaemin flushes even more, having realized that Jeno has sported at hard on.

“Jeno,” he pulls away from the kiss, “Are you—”

Jeno doesn’t let him finish, cupping his right cheek and kissing him harder as he walks closer, moving his lower body as he kissed into him. Jaemin’s body automatically responds into doing the same and he feels the heat from the bottom of his ears, and he really doesn’t want to stay in school anymore.

The bell rings seconds later, and Jaemin is barely sober. He tastes blood on his lips and manages to call the other’s name in between a kiss, “J-jen,”

It comes out sounding like a moan, and Jaemin flushes harder as he parts with him. “We have to go, Jen.”

Jeno blinks slowly, finally back to his senses. “Sorry.”

Jaemin smiles and says before running down the stairs ahead of him, “if you liked it, we can do more at home.”

* * *

Jaemin is beyond pissed. It’s been two days since Jeno’s ‘revival’ and he was naturally attracting more attention. Even now that Jeno has gone back to wearing his spectacles, Go Naeun is definitely all over _his_ Jeno. _She’s barely looking at the paper Jeno’s writing on_.

“Yes, so are you,” Donghyuck sighed, rolled his eyes. “If you mutter a little bit louder, I’m sure she’ll hear you.”

“I don’t understand, what’s her deal?” Jaemin complains.

“I don’t know, Nana,” Donghyuck groans, “She thinks he’s single and available, maybe? You know because, a certain someone won’t claim him his officially.”

“I don’t know how to askkk,” Jaemin is sulking now, “Should I even ask? Shouldn’t he ask? Why is it always me?”

Donghyuck stares at his friend and shakes his head.

Suddenly, they hear a girl’s laughter from Jeno’s place. Of course, it’s Go Naeun.

_Why is she laughing? Jeno’s not even funny..._

“By the way, I think these glasses look good on you.”

“Thanks,” Jeno says simply, not even looking up from the paper. Jaemin stares intently at the two, if his eyes could burn, she would’ve become ashes by now.

“Na Jaemin,” Donghyuck calls his name for the third time, “I really need you to give me one possible idea for this stupid project or I’m marking you down for peer-evaluation.”

Jaemin pouts at the caramel head.

“I’ll mark you down in every category and in the remarks I’ll say you bullied me online and called my house during dinner just to call me names.”

“Okay, okay,” Jaemin huffs, giving Jeno and Naeun one last glance befor—

_Did she just touch Jeno’s glasses?_

Everyone’s attention is suddenly on Jaemin. The golden boy had stood up immediately out of nowhere and Jaemin comes to the realization soon enough that he may have disrupted everyone’s discussions.

He chuckles awkwardly, as he stretches his hands out, and then bending his back a few times. “Sorry, needed a stretch.”

Donghyuck facepalms, “You have no shame.”

“Oh, I live close by,” Jaemin hears Naeun’s high pitched voice as he gets back to his seat, “Are you free tomorrow? I can come over for the project.”

Jeno finally meets his gaze for a second before his attention is back on the paper, but Jaemin hears him say,

“Yes.”

“Hyuckie...”

“What?”

“I think my future boyfriend just invited a girl over to his house.”

“Who is his project partner, Jaem, you’re literally coming over to mine today and on friday, and probably on the weekends now because if you’re so distracted, we’ll never get to finish this assignment!”

“But—”

“You already know Jeno is so very into you, and you literally just told me five minutes ago that you and him did _that_ yester—”

Jaemin’s hand is on Donghyuck’s mouth to keep from saying anything else. “OK,” He concedes, “I’ll calm down.”

Jaemin keeps his worries and insecurities to himself until school is over, Jeno goes home alone while he went to Donghyuck’s place for the project. Jeno only sends him one text which was only a simple ‘get home safe’. Jaemin was irritable for the remaining hours of the day. He couldn’t believe Jeno was seriously bringing home a girl like that.

Once he reached home, he didn’t want to text the other, he was so exasperated after thinking so much. Sure, neither of them had said anything about being boyfriends or putting an official label on their current relationship but on the other hand, they don’t have to, right? Those touches, and those looks Jeno gives him, it’s specially for him and Jaemin knows that. Jaemin sighs loudly, but he needs the assurance. It was his first relationship, and he really wanted to be Jeno’s ... in a more official way.

Thinking of being made official, Jaemin’s mind wanders off to the dirtier parts of his imagination and the boy is blushing a deep red on his own doing. He finally lets go of his pettiness, and starts to miss Jeno. Without thinking much anymore, he grabs his phone, presses Jeno’s number and waits for him to pick up.

“Nana,” He hears the other’s voice, “are you home, yet?”

“Mhm,”

“Eaten dinner?”

“Yeah, Hyuck’s mom cooked for me.”

“That’s good.”

“Have you eaten?” Jaemin asks this time.

“Yeah,”

“I miss you,” Jaemin bites his lip and hides his face under his pillow.

“me too,”

“I... I, um...” Jaemin sighs, he wants to tell Jeno how he feels but he didn’t want to look overly obsessed.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t like her...”

“Who? Naeun?”

“Yeah...”

“Nana, you don’t have to worry.” Jeno tries to reassure the other, telling him that he was only going to bring her until the the living room and not anywhere else.

“Yeah, but she obviously likes you!” Jaemin raises.

“I won’t let her do anything,”

Jaemin keeps quiet on the other side of the line.

“Jaemin,” Jeno calls, “Don’t you trust me?”

“I do!” Jaemin replies instantly, “It’s her I don’t trust.”

There’s silence on the line for awhile.

“I don’t trust Lucas, too.” Jeno’s voice is in a different tone. “But you’re still going to his game tomorrow, right?”

“Jen, w-what?” Jaemin seems taken aback. He had been so caught up with the girl and Jeno, he had completely forgotten that he also had plans with someone else tomorrow.

“Lucas likes you more than that girl likes me,” Jaemin hears Jeno’s sharp breaths through the phone, “He’s _even_ kissed you.”

“Jeno!” Jaemin whines at the mention of the incident.

“Yet, you’re still seeing him when I’m right here.”

Jaemin swallows, as this comes unexpected, “It’s n-not like that. He’s just a senior, I don’t want to offend him, Jen...”

“Alright,” Jeno says flatly, “then what about me?”

“What do you mean?”

Jeno goes silent for another few seconds. “It’s nothing. Forget it.”

“Jeno...”

“I feel tired now,”

“O-oh?”

“I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Yes,” Jaemin feels weird, it’s the first time Jeno has ended a call so abruptly. “Goodnigh—”

And proceeded to hang up on him without even saying goodnight. _Is Jeno mad? Did we just have a fight? Is that a fight?_ Jaemin groans into his pillow, he feels worse than before.

* * *

The following morning, Jeno waits outside Jaemin’s house. Jaemin greets the other as they walk to the bus stop, it’s uncharacteristically silent between them.

During their fourth period, Jaemin finally breaks the silence. He asks Jeno if he‘s upset with him, the latter tells him he isn’t. As soon as the bell rings, they find themselves in the staircase once again, during the entirety of their lunch break, and went back to class with flushed faces. Jeno holds his hand under their desks until school ends.Right before Jeno leaves the classroom to meet Naeun who’s standing right outside excitedly, he takes his sweater off and puts it on Jaemin’s lap.

“I’ll see you when you get home,”

Jaemin gives him a soft smile, “see you later.”

* * *

The gymnasium is filled with cheering students and parents. The bleachers is separated between the students of the two schools and some space for the general public. The last quarter only has a few minutes left and the opposing school still had a two-point advantage. The teams were neck and neck, as expected from the top two teams in their district.

Renjun, who is sitting next to Jaemin, is gripping the end of his seat, he couldn’t believe this was a game between highschoolers. Sitting on Jaemin’s left was Jeno’s cousin, Jisung and his classmate Chenle who’d come to support his senior friends. Chenle is very loud, screaming every time their school gets a ball in but now, with the game on it’s last two minutes, and with the ball in the hands of their opponents, he had become silent, eyes intensely glued to the court.

The ball alternates possession a few more times as the teams show off their equally high level defence, before it’s the last thirty seconds with the opponents still two points away. Chenle chants the team cheer with the rest of the student audience, filling up the entire gymnasium.

It’s Lucas who takes possession of the ball in the last seven seconds from the other side of the court, he dribbles towards the center before raising the ball, and everyone anticipates with bated breaths as he shoots it towards the hoop.

It’s a clean shot! And it's worth three points.

The scoreboard updates and the buzzer sounds not even a second later. The entire place erupts in loud cheers.

Lucas looks at Jaemin when the buzzer sounds, still in form from the shot he just made, smiling widely. Jaemin claps from his seat as the team is announced their win and handed their trophy. After their picture is taken, Lucas walks out from the center and takes the announcer’s microphone.

“Na Jaemin,” He says as Jaemin’s heart speeds up, sensing that something unfortunate might happen. “Will you go out with me?”

Jaemin’s eyes widen, staring at the sweaty basketball player metres away from him. There’s a huge crowd waiting for his response. His mind malfunctions as everything and everyone around him goes silent.

He only hears Renjun mutter, “Well, _fuck_.”

* * *

Jeno is exhausted. He thought that Go Naeun might actually focus a little bit better but the girl is undeniably difficult. He’d started the work right away once they reached but Naeun doesn’t ask questions pertaining to it, instead he felt like he was being interviewed. When Jeno tries to focus, she whines that he’s too quiet and bothers him.Two hours in and Jeno feels like coming up with any excuse to cut their time short, he could complete this project by himself after.

“What time are you leaving?” He asks.

“Hmm let’s see,” she flips through their project plan, grinning, “We’re barely halfway there... my parents aren’t strict so I can stay longer unless you want to see me again tomorrow?”

No, he doesn’t. “I’m not free the rest of the week, we can finish half together and I’ll find you in school.”

He’s lying, he’s just going to show up on Monday with their report done, he’d let her do the presentation instead the following week. It was much better when his project partners let him quietly complete the work for them.

Another half an hour passes and Jeno is close to to completing his section. Naeun suddenly gasps from her seat across the table.

“Omo,” She looks up to Jeno. Jeno raises a brow, what is it this time?

“Lucas asked Jaemin to go out with him—right after winning the trophy!”

Jeno stops writing.

“Wow... How romantic is that? I’m so jealous! He’s so lucky, I’d die if that were me.” She exclaims.

“How...did that happen?”

“There’s a video on Instagram!”

She hands her phone to Jeno, and it’s an Instagram story of one of their classmates. It shows Lucas standing in the center of the court and then the camera pans towards Jaemin’s seat in the bleachers.

The next video plays and it’s Jaemin making his way down to meet the tall senior as the entire crowd cheers. The caption reads, ‘HE SAID YES! OMG This is UNREAL!’

“Let’s continue,” Jeno hands the phone back to Naeun and turns his focus back on the paper. Except, he can’t focus at all. Naeun pouts at his plain reaction. But, Jeno’s breathing becomes heavier and loud, to the point Naeun had to ask if he was fine.Jeno keeps a tight grip on his pen, he doesn’t answer her. Jeno can’t hear her. Naeun notices the shift in the atmosphere, and is smart enough to keep her mouth shut for the remaining hour.

“Is she having dinner with us?” Jeno’s mother pops out from the kitchen.

Naeun is the one to decline, having felt that Jeno is in a bad mood. “Maybe next time, Mrs. Lee. I’ll be taking my leave now.”

“Sure, sure. Be safe on your way back.” She gives her son’s classmate a wave and smile before turning to her son, ”Lee Jeno, walk her to the bus stop!”

Jeno silently nods his head as he and Naeun get up from the table. He walks her out the door and says goodbye curtly. “You don’t have to walk me to the bus stop,” she says, “I’ll see you tomorrow in school!”

Jeno just nods, he wasn’t planning to in the first place. Naeun stands in front of him for another full second and Jeno just looks at her, expecting she wasn’t quite done with her talking. Except, she was and he doesn’t expect her to plant a quick peck on his cheek. “Cheer up!” She grins as she makes a run for it before Jeno can say anything.

Jeno wipes his cheek with his palm, and is about to go into his house when he spots Jaemin in the distance as Naeun’s figure disappears. She’s over the moon with what she’s done, she doesn’t even recognize Jaemin as she turns the corner. Jaemin is frozen at his spot, and Jeno is, too. Their eyes meet, and for a full minute they do nothing but stare at each other.

Both in different levels of pain.

Jaemin is the one who moves first, walking as he maintains eye contact with the other. Jeno, a few heartbeats later, finds the will to move his legs, even though he isn’t sure what to say to Jaemin when they’re finally in front of each other.

“Y-you said nothing would happen.” Jaemin’s voice breaks. He saw what he saw, and something happened.

Jeno stays silent, he’s not sure what he’ll say if he opens his mouth.

“ _Jeno_ ,” Jaemin calls his name, anger lurking in his words, “why aren’t you saying anything?”

The other boy just stares at him and Jaemin feels angrier the longer he does. He’s looking at him as if he’s the one who’s done something wrong.

“Jeno!” He shouts as if trying to wake him.

“We should stop,” Jeno finally says.

“What?”

“We should stop.”

“What’s wrong with you?” Jaemin pushes Jeno by the shoulders. “I leave you for a couple hours and you want to see someone else?”

_The same could be said for you_ , Jeno thinks, but keeps mum.

“Oh, what am I saying?” Jaemin scoffs, “we’re not even seeing each other, _you’re not even my boyfriend._ ”

Jeno’s shocked. Then, what the hell have they been doing the past week? “You’re right, I’m not.”

Jaemin steps back at Jeno’s words. He’s in a mix of disbelief, anger and sadness. His throat tightens as tears well up from his eyes.

“I hope you’re happy with him,” Jeno doesn’t say anything anymore. He turns around, and walks away.

“What?” Jaemin is all of a sudden brought back to earth. Jeno keeps a steady pace towards his house.

“Lee Jeno,” Jaemin runs to grab him by the shoulder. “What’s this all _really_ about?”

Jeno lips tighten in a straight line as he pulls Jaemin’s hand off of his shoulder in a harsh way. Jeno continues to walk away.

“I thought you trusted me?” Jaemin says, as tears finally make their way down his cheeks.

“I thought you trusted me too,” Jeno spits, not even looking back, “but here we are.”

Jaemin says nothing at that. It’s Jeno who speaks again. Jaemin wishes he didn’t.

“This isn’t going to work between us.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> don't hit me >.<  
> ratings will change in the next part heheh guess why


	3. Part 3

Jeno arrives in school earlier than usual, he’d taken an earlier bus so that he wouldn’t have to cross paths with... him.It was painful to walk away, but he couldn’t even look at him. With the happenings of yesterday, he could only guess that Jaemin had acted in that way to end things between them so that he could be with that admirable sunbae of his in peace. Jeno said words he can’t take back and walked away, because he’d rather he did than hear the words from Jaemin himself.Jaemin didn’t even stop him after, he had let Jeno walk away from him.

If Jaemin had called him again, he would’ve stopped. If Jaemin said he loved him, he would’ve turned around. If Jaemin had said that Jeno had gotten it all wrong, explained and defended himself, Jeno would’ve apologized. Instead, Jaemin let him go easily. Jeno realizes it was never love for him. Jeno was so hurt, he couldn’t even cry. He couldn’t sleep, and he couldn’t cry. He felt the coldness and the hurt in his body the entire night, because he couldn’t even cry to let it all out. He should’ve known that things will never go right for him. Now, he’s lost the person he loves and his best friend.

The class starts and his seatmate isn’t in school. Na Jaemin doesn’t turn up for school. Go Naeun brings herself to sit next to him by second period. Lee Jeno simply asks her, “Can you go back to your seat?”

She pouts her lips at him, ”Why so cold—”

“ _Please_ ,” Jeno slams his history book on the table. Naeun flinches as their classmates turn to the both of them. Humiliated, she quietly walks back to her place. She doesn’t speak to Jeno for the rest of the classes.

When school ends, Jeno walks out in time to see Lee Donghyuck and Huang Renjun talking in the hallway. But instead of greeting him, Renjun pulls the caramel haired boy away with him and walks off, not even sparing him another glance. Jeno watches the both of them disappear into the crowd of students as he goes his own way.

* * *

The weekends pass and Jeno hasn’t seen Jaemin since that evening. What makes him feel more upset is remembering that the latter’s birthday is tomorrow. It’s the first birthday they’ll spend apart. Jeno has barely slept, and even when he does, he wakes up after only a few hours of sleep. However, he managed to oversleep and wakes up for school two hours after he was supposed to leave. It’s the longest he’d slept for in the past few days. Despite being severely late, he has to make it to school for a test during his last period. He gets up and takes a cold shower, it wakes the bones in his body and forces him out of the shower in minutes. Jeno doesn’t take the cold well, and if he’d opted for a warm one, he would’ve never come out.

He arrives at SM High just in time for lunch break, he isn’t hungry so he walks the longer route to the classroom.“Lucas, the really handsome third year, went to the second years’ floor to fetch his boyfriend, Na Jaemin.” A girl tells her friends like they were Ahjummas gossiping in the market. "That's so sweet, I'm totally jealous of Jaemin."

“Is it true Na Jaemin chased him?”

“Not sure? Some people say it’s Lucas—”

Jeno walks in a different direction, because even hearing his name hurts. He walks until he sees a familiar figure standing a distance away from him. His breath hitches because he could recognise the back of his head in a room full of people—or anywhere, really. He also notices a person in front of him and who it is. It’s really just his poor luck, having to see Jaemin and Lucas like this. Lucas gives Jaemin a smile as he brings a hand to Jaemin’s head, patting it and then bringing the same hand over the shorter’s shoulder, caressing his shoulders as they walk away.

Jeno should’ve stayed at home. Jeno thinks that if jealousy could kill, he’d be dead the moment Lucas appeared on his loud bike outside their house. Jeno knows Jaemin, he knows Lucas is a better match for him than he could ever be. He still wants Jaemin, wants him so badly, but he knows he can’t compete. Jeno makes his way to class, eyes kept to his feet.

Na Jaemin doesn’t appear in class again. Huang Renjun drops by midway through the lesson, he’s asking for Jaemin’s belongings. The teacher gestures for Jeno to take his seatmate’s bag to the waiting student. Jeno doesn’t look at Renjun in the eye as he passes him Jaemin’s bag outside the classroom but Renjun keeps his hands to his sides.

“Lee Jeno,” Renjun calls his name. “Why?”

Jeno keeps quiet. _Please don’t make this any harder_. His hand, that is holding the bag, still outstretched towards the other boy.

“Did you even take him seriously?”

Jeno is losing his patience, he doesn’t need to hear these words from someone who doesn’t know. He’d been with Jaemin during the game, he knows what happened there and yet, he’s defending his friend in front of him right now? Jeno pushes the bag to Renjun’s chest before turning around to go back into the classroom. As his hand finds the knob, he hears Renjun mutter one last thing, “Jaemin still loves you and he hopes you’ll be happy with Go Naeun.”

“Why are you trying to convince me that this is my fault?” Jeno says angrily, turning around once again.

“Because it is!” Renjun raises his voice, he couldn’t believe the other, “You walked away!”

“He didn’t ask me to stay!” Jeno retorts, “He didn’t even bother to—”

“Renjun, whats taking you so long?”The two boys look to where the voice had come from.

“It’s nothing.” Renjun gives Jeno one last glare before turning on his heel.

“That’s Lee Jeno,”

“Lucas, it’s fine.” Renjun stops the other from walking towards Jeno. Jeno keeps a cold look towards the both of them.

“No, it’s been four days,” Lucas looks at him, “Why won’t you forgive him for something that I did?”

“Lucas, let’s go,” Renjun attempts to grab him by the arm but Lucas shakes him off.

“I heard it’s because of some girl and if that’s what it takes for you to end a relationship, I’m glad you ended it with Na Jaemin. You don’t deserve him.”

“And you deserve each other?” Jeno scoffs at the taller, heading for the classroom door again. “Last long with him.”

“What?” Lucas is bemused, “That day, after my game, he rejected me because he said he was in love with you.”

Jeno halts in his steps, could he have been mistaken? “No,” the look of denial is splashed on Jeno’s face, “She s-said that h-he—”

“Lee Jeno,” Renjun steps up as well, having realized that this may have happened from a stupid misunderstanding, “You fucking asshole!”

Renjun drops Jaemin’s bag and storms towards Jeno. He threw his hand back and lands a punch on Jeno’s cheek. ”You kissed a girl for that? In front of him?”

Jeno’s glasses fall to the floor as he clutches the aching side of his face. _Fuck_ , Renjun’s bony hands hurt like hell. “I didn’t kiss her!”

“Mr. Lee, Mr. Huang, office, now!” Jeno’s teacher finally stepped out of the classroom noticing the commotion.

Jeno gets suspended for two days, and Renjun gets four for being in the student council. He had almost gotten his position stripped until Jeno had stepped up to the Principal saying that the entire incident had been his fault. Once they were dismissed, Renjun doesn’t talk or even look at him. Jeno’s head is in a total state of disorder, he’d assumed the worst from someone he said he trusted. He can’t imagine how Jaemin is feeling right now.

“Where is he?” Jeno stops Renjun from walking away by grabbing him by the arm.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Renjun replies cockily, as if he’d let Jeno hurt his best friend again.

“I know it’s my fault,” Jeno tries his best to convince Renjun to give him another chance. “But I really do love him.”

“Wow, your love is so easily shaken by gossip.” Renjun scoffs as he glares at him, his eyes sending daggers. “Don’t waste my time, or Jaemin’s, on your shitty excuses because from the start, it’s always been him chasing you, and you’re the one who pushes him away and continuously let him down.”

“I know I did wrong this time,” Jeno tries to defend himself, “I doubted him, I assumed, I hurt him but I can’t even think about losing him, I—”

“Lee Jeno,” The shorter boy looks at him in utter disbelief, “ _You’re_ the one who walked away. Right after the game, Jaemin immediately left to go home to you, to see _you_ , but instead, he sees a girl kiss you and you didn’t even apologize and then you’re suddenly ending things! _You_ did all that by yourself! Jaemin doesn’t understand what he could’ve done for you to act that way—he couldn’t even go home because he thought that if he sees you he might make a fool of himself by begging you to take him back! When he heard you were in school today, he couldn’t even step a foot in the same room as you. If _you_ want him back, I won’t help you and I never will. Get out of my face.”

Jeno releases his hold on Renjun’s arm. Each word struck him in the chest, and the tears finally come.

* * *

Na Jaemin is in his bedroom after four days. He’d stayed at Renjun’s at first and then at Donghyuck’s from Saturday. His mother had embraced him when he’d come back in the early afternoon noticing the drastic changes in her son from when she last saw him. She leaves him in his room without asking too many questions and tell him she’ll talk to him when he feels like it. He hadn’t imagined he’d barely last a week with Jeno. It’s possible Jeno only pitied him from the start. Now, because of him, he’s lost his longest friend and the boy he’s hopelessly in love with.

Jaemin passes out on the floor as he cried on it, when he opens his eyes, the sun had gone down. Jaemin hears a knock on his door and gets up to open it. It’s his mother holding his dinner. “Are you feeling better?” His mother places his meal on his desk and holds him again. She can’t bare to see him like this.

“What happened, Jaemin-ah?”

Jaemin can’t speak because the tears come again. He doesn’t want to cry anymore but he can’t help it. He manages to hold them back until his mother leaves. “Eat your dinner, please,” His mother cups his cheek and tells him to find her if he needs her before she takes her leave.

Jaemin can’t find the appetite in him but he sits at his desk and takes a spoonful of rice. He doesn’t need his mother to worry so much for him. He can get through this, he tells himself. _Lee Jeno is just a boy_. But even thinking so doesn’t help. He reaches for his phone and sees message notifications from Lee Donghyuck. He swipes to read them.

4.30pm

[Lucas says Renjun and Jeno got into a fight. They’re both suspended... Renjun won’t talk about it.]

5.45pm

[ are u okay? text me whenever, i’ll be here.]

He types a reply and hits send before calling Renjun. Renjun picks up almost immediately. “Hello?”

“W-what happened with Jeno? Are you okay?”

He hears Renjun sigh through the phone. “I hit him because he deserved it. That’s all.”

“Renjun...” Jaemin bites his lip in worry, “W-was it something he said? What did he say...?”

“Nothing,” Renjun is aware it’s an obvious lie but the last thing he’d do is easily give his best friend away. He wants Jaemin to be happy with someone else, even if it takes a long time. “Have you eaten dinner?”

“Renjun,” Jaemin wasn’t falling for his subject change, “Please, tell me. I want to know—”

“He’s not worth it.”

“Please...”

“I hope you feel better and if you want to talk, text or call me.”

With that, the call ends and Jaemin feels helpless.Does Jeno hate him? Renjun wouldn’t resort to violence if it hadn’t been that bad. God, Jeno hates him now and he can’t do anything about it. 

Hours pass as Jaemin stares blankly at his ceiling, he just can’t fall asleep. He clutches the sweater Jeno left him with. It doesn’t smell like him anymore.

His mothers comes in again exactly at midnight, holding a cake in her hands. Jaemin quickly realizes that he’d forgotten his own birthday. His heart drops as he remembers that he’d never spent a birthday without Jeno for the past decade.

He blows the candle with a hesitant wish. He wishes Jeno to be happy even without him.

His mother leaves a slice on his desk but it remains untouched for the rest of the night. It’s his favourite but looking at it makes him sad.

There’s a knock on his door half an hour later and his mother peeks in. “Jeno’s mother came by and thought he might be with you but I said he wasn’t. He’s not picking up her calls and she’s really worried. Do you know where he is?”

Jaemin’s heart races upon hearing his name, and then drops when he realizes that Jeno isn’t one to do something like this. “No...”

“Did something happen between the both of you?”

Jaemin bites his lip as it quivers, preventing him from speaking—he can’t talk about it yet. He nods his head. His mother gives him a sorry look, “Do you think you can try calling him? It’s almost one in the morning and if he’s alone, it’s quite dangerous.”

Everyone knows Jeno isn’t the type to stay out late or not inform his parents his whereabouts for so long. Jaemin’s fingers shakily press the other’s contact on his phone, and puts the phone next to his ear. But the phone doesn’t ring and the call immediately ends. “I think his phone is dead or turned off,” He concludes.

“Oh dear,” His mother worries for the boy she treats like her son. Jeno’s mother is in the living room, waiting anxiously. They can’t call anyone else because Jeno is only close to Jaemin.

Jaemin can’t find the courage to tell them he might be with a girlfriend. Insuppressible thoughts flash in his mind of Jeno frolicking with Go Naeun somewhere. He regrets even thinking it. Twenty minutes pass and Jeno’s mother decides to return back to her home. Jaemin has tried his best to console her, and even phoned Jisung for her.Jaemin walks her out, and just as he is about to part with her, a taxi arrives on the street. Someone staggers out from the other side, visibly intoxicated.

“Jeno!” His mother calls out in shock. Jaemin runs to support the stumbling boy. Jeno pushes him away and walks a few step to the side of the road and he falls to his knees. His body bends forward as he empties his stomach into the drain below. Jaemin rushes to run his hand up and down his back. Jeno wipes his mouth with his wrist and starts to laugh.

“Lee Jeno!” His mother is furious. “You’re despicable!”

Jeno stands up as his mother lifts him off the ground. “S-sorry,” he says with a grin.

“You got suspended! Skipped dinner! Left home without asking! Not answer my calls!” She scolds, “What’s gotten into you!?”

“My phone died, sorry,” Jeno bows as he apologised but he struggles to bring his body up, he eventually falls forward.

“Jaemin, honey, help me bring him home, will you?”

By now, Jaemin’s mother has also come out of the house. Jaemin tunes them out and lifts Jeno by the arm, and puts it around his neck. As he walks him into his house, he calls his name a few times to try and get a response. Jeno is moaning unintelligibly. Jaemin brings him straight to the bathroom. Jeno’s mother follows shortly after and thanks Jaemin for his help.

“Emmeonim, I’ll take care of him,” He says.

“It’s alright, child, I’ll handle it, you should go and get some—”

“It’s okay, he’s done this for me once. I’ll return the favour,” Jaemin gives her a small smile, “—you can punish him tomorrow.”

She draws an exaggerated breath, as she puts her hands on her hips, “Teenage brats and their alcohol! No more drinking for the both of you!”

“Yes, emmeonim,” Jaemin bows his head as she leaves the bathroom.

Jaemin returns his attention to the mostly unconscious boy. His heart races. He’s missed him. His heart hurts. “Jeno-ya,” He sighs, “What happened?”

Jaemin bites his lip as he removes Jeno’s glasses and puts it on the sink. Then, he pulls his shirt by the hem and raises it over his head; his fingers make contact with the skin below. He quickly notices how warm the other is. Jeno’s too warm. Jaemin lifts a hand and presses it against the other’s forehead. As he guessed, Jeno is burning up. He quickly takes the other's clothes off leaving him in his boxers and dragging him to the shower.

Jeno regains some of his consciousness when the water reached his skin. Jeno groans as he tries to stand up. Jaemin supports him, getting half of his shirt wet in the process. Jeno reaches a hand towards Jaemin and lifts up his hair, revealing his face to him. Jeno takes a few seconds to register whose face it is with all the water showering over them.“Jaemin...” He blinks.

Jaemin is reminded of their situation and attempts to detach himself from the other. Jeno reacts fast enough and pulls him back by the waist. Jaemin is completely drenched now but he can’t seem to care about that when their faces are centimetres apart. “Jaemin,” Jeno speaks again, “you’re here...”

Jaemin tries to make distance between them by placing his hands on Jeno’s firm chest and pushing his body away but the other boy’s hold on him is tight. Jeno pulls him closer to him, like he’s clinging onto him for dear life.Jaemin can’t tell if he’s crying or if it’s the water, for days he thought that he’d never be held by the other again. “J-jeno, what happened?”

Jeno makes a sound but doesn’t answer, his hand caresses the back of Jaemin’s head. Jaemin loves it when he does that, he’d kept on telling him to dothat whenever they were together, before everything happened. “You have a fever, Jeno,” Jaemin softly tells him. “We can’t stay here too long.”

Jeno moves their bodies so that Jaemin’s back is against the bathroom wall. His skin tingles as it makes contact with the cold tiled walls.Jeno looks at him, “I’m sorry,”

His eyes turn glassy and pink as he pleads, “Please, don’t leave me...”

Jaemin doesn’t know what to say, he’s dumbstruck. His body freezes as Jeno looks him in the eye. Up until half an hour ago he was convinced Jeno would never speak to him again. “J-jen—”

He feels warm lips on his, and his legs turn weak. God, he’s missed this. What happened to Jeno? _Why now, why today...?_ Jeno’s body falls partially limp on him, his body succumbing to the fever. Jaemin pulls them both out and dries the other.When Jeno is fully clothed and laid to rest on his bed, Jaemin doesn’t forget to tell his mother that he has a fever, and then tells his own that he’d be staying the night. Jaemin holds Jeno's hand as he finally falls asleep next to him.

When morning comes, Jaemin awakes first and places a hand on the other’s forehead; checking his temperature. He isn’t as warm as last night but the fever is still present.Jaemin feels a hand on his as Jeno’s eyes blink open.“A-are you feeling better?”

“Jaemin?” Jeno is visibly confused, flinching away. Jaemin quickly pulls his hand back. “Why are you here?”

“Y-you came home drunk late in the n-night, everyone was worried, I—”

His body feels heavy but Jeno musters his energy and strength to throw himself at Jaemin. “Jaemin, you don’t hate me right? I’m sorry, I d-idn’t mean w-what I s-said—I d-didn’t know.”

Jeno is sobbing against him, Jaemin feels like crying too but he gently pushes Jeno away and gives him a smile. “It’s okay now, Jen...Don’t cry.”

“Na Jaemin,” Jeno looks him straight in the eye, “I don’t think I love you—I _know_ I love you. I know because I’m in love with you, too.”

Jaemin can’t help the tears from escaping his eyes. “God, I’ve been crying for five days straight now—”

Jaemin sees a guilty expression on the other’s face and laughs, “It’s okay, I have you back now. I love you.”

Jaemin climbs onto Jeno’s lap and kisses him deeply, wrapping his arms around the other’s neck. A moan escapes from him as Jeno’s fingers caress the lower back of his head, slightly pulling at his hair. Jeno falls back, keeping their lips connected so that Jaemin was on top now. Jaemin cheekily puts his hand in between their lips.

“Before I forgive you,” His expression turns serious, “Where were you last night and what were you doing?”

Jeno's earlobes turn pink, “I thought I’d lost you because of what I did—I ended up at another neighbourhood after taking a walk before dinner and the ahjumma at the mart offered me alcohol without checking my ID...”

Jaemin’s lips press into a thin line, “well, aren’t you a rebel?”

Jeno scrunches his nose and shakes his head and tries to kiss Jaemin but Jaemin’s hand covers his lips again.

“One more thing,” Jaemin lowers his lips to the other’s ear, “where did she kiss you?”

“Nana, I didn’t flirt with her at all, that kiss you saw—she did that herself.” Jeno says to reassure the other with his side of the story.

“Mhm,” Jaemin has a sour expression. “So, where?”

Jeno points to his right cheek and in a heartbeat, Jaemin closes the distance between them, kissing first where he pointed. Then, to his nose, forehead, the other cheek, even his chin and ears. Jeno flushes below him. Jaemin’s tongue slowly licks down his neck, stopping just before his collarbone and sucks on the skin there. Jeno pleasurely groans his name at the pressure, “Jaemin...”

The brunette pulls away and appreciates his work, “you’re mine, okay?”

Jeno flips the both of them so that Jaemin is below him and gives him a smile, bringing his lips to meet his, he takes his time kissing and even licking them to tease the other. Jeno mimics Jaemin’s movements from before as he licks a strip down the latter’s neck, and Jaemin had always been ticklish so his body reacts and moans softly when Jeno starts sucking along his shoulder. Jaemin’s short breaths and tiny moans sound heavenly to Jeno. “And you’re mine.”

Jeno doesn’t stop at one, or two, or four; he gives the other seven purple marks around his shoulder and chest, Jaemin didn’t know he’d react that much to being given hickeys. Jeno plants another long kiss on the other’s lips before he collapses next to him.“You’re sick and you kissed me,” Jaemin pouts.

“You kissed me first,” Jeno says smugly.

“You don’t care about me?” Jaemin pouts his lips even more.

“Of course I care about my _boyfriend_...”

Jaemin feels the heat rush to his face, “W-what? You didn’t even ask!”

“I don’t have to,” Jeno gives him a soft smile, “you’re mine.”

“Jaemin,” Jeno calls his name again.

“Hm?”

“Happy Birthday.”

* * *

“Hyuck,” Renjun calls the brunette’s name as they eat their lunch. Hearing his name, he looks up, as he bites on his chicken cutlet. “Hm?”

“Do you think they’ve done it yet?” Renjun casually asks as he takes a sip of his milk.

Donghyuck chokes on the piece of meat in his mouth, “Dude—!”

“Sorry, sorry,” The chinese boy grabs his water bottle and hands it to the other.

Donghyuck manages to swallow the meat eventually and his expression turns serious, “I honestly think they have...”

The two boys scrunch up their faces at the imagination. The other boys in question had disappeared yet again during lunch break. Renjun knows exactly where they’re at—Jaemin has worsened in his stories about Lee Jeno and tells him everything about his relationship even if it‘s TMI. Renjun thinks he’s punished to be the other’s best friend in this lifetime.

On the other side of the school, Jaemin is being kissed harshly against the wall. His lips are bruised to the point he can taste blood. “J-jen,” He moans as the other's hands slip under his shirt. Lee Jeno kisses down his jaw to his nape, and sucks over the light mark—turning it dark again.Jeno sucks on his own fingers and Jaemin’s eyes widen realizing quickly what his next move would be. He feels his pants loosen around his waist as another hand slides down his back.

“J-jeno!” He calls, they’re in school!

Jeno grins at him, his face looks innocent—his hands, a different story.“A-ah,” Jaemin feels a finger slide inside him. “Fuck, Jen, n-not here...”

Jaemin’s body falls forward as his leg goes weak, Jeno’s body keeps him from falling. He adds another finger as Jaemin’s breath turns uneven against his ear. Jaemin snaps out of the pleasure for a second and bring his own hand down the other’s pants earning him a moan from the other. Jeno barely waits another minute before he slips in another and Jaemin whimpers at the stretch. “S-shit,” Jaemin unconsciously tightens his grip around the taller’s cock, feeling it harden even more. Jeno’s long fingers aren’t a stranger to his ass but every time he puts them in, it feels so foreignly good.

Jeno starts to thrust his fingers harder, working to find _that_ spot, and Jaemin can’t keep the sounds from slipping from his lips. His boyfriend suddenly screams against his shoulder, _ah_ , there it is. “Baby,” Jeno whispers, “you have to keep quiet, we’re in school.”

Jaemin flushes at the petname, and slaps the other’s chest playfully. “I t-told you not to—agghh!”

Jeno suddenly inserts another finger, stretching the other even more. “Hn,” he smirks, loving how Jaemin looks against him being fucked with four of his fingers. How would he look like if it was Jeno’s cock instead? _God,_ he really wanted to put it in sometimes but he knows how uncomfortable it was at first for Jaemin and decided to wait—even after the other has begged multiple times. Begged and almost got it—but Jeno wants him to feel good and he’d spent his time preparing the other for a week now. It’s only a matter of time, really.

The bell rings, signalling the end of break and just as it does, Jeno takes his fingers out and Jaemin whimpers at the loss of them. “Jennnn! B-but I h-haven’t...”

Jeno loves teasing the other, he loves seeing Jaemin looking desperate, and plants a small kiss on his pouting lips. “Maybe, later...” His fingers adjust Jaemin’s boxers and buttons his pants for him again. It’s painfully hard to leave for class. Literally.

Jaemin doesn’t let himself be gladly teased like that. He takes his revenge when he drapes his sweater over Jeno’s lap during their final period. Jeno mutters a small thanks at the other’s concern (but it isn't Jaemin’s intention at all.) Jeno realizes the other’s scheme too late when he feels him squeeze his inner thigh. Jeno’s eyes widens even more when he feels said hand palming his clothed dick. A tent easily forms as he presses his legs together nervously, “Nana... what are you doing?”

The other boy flashes a smile and shrugs innocently. The torture continues until their 45 minute class ends. For almost forty minutes, every time Jeno felt himself soften, Jaemin would bring his hand back to play with the other.

Jaemin devilishly smiles until Jeno has completely gone quiet. Jaemin knows he’s fulfilled his intentions.

“How’s that, _baby_?” He whispers sensually against the other’s ear when the teacher leaves the classroom. He’s so close to the other, he can't resist the licks the tip of his earlobe and notices a staring someone from his peripheral view. It’s none other than Go Naeun—who’s just first-handedly witnessed something she will regret seeing for the rest of her life. Jaemin gives her a smug look. _He’s mine._

* * *

Na Jaemin is thrown on bed the moment they walk through Jeno’s bedroom door. Jaemin watches as Jeno twists the lock on the knob, places his bag on the floor and then, his glasses on his desk.

“You know what you did...” He says as he approaches the bed, crawling on top of the other. Jaemin sticks out a tongue as he wraps his arms around Jeno’s neck, pulling him down for another passionate kiss—but Jeno isn’t patient anymore. His fingers undo Jaemin’s shirt buttons expertly, revealing the smooth, milky skin below. His takes one of Jaemin’s nipples in his mouth and lets his hand take care of the other. Jaemin shivers as he feels something wet, and warm on his chest. He feels Jeno’s tongue flick the nub and it sends him shaking under the the boy’s hold.

Jeno’s hands move down to unbutton Jaemin’s pants and pulls it down, Jaemin shakes it off of the bed. He lets Jeno slide his boxers down to his feet, revealing his already hardened manhood. Jeno strokes the other slowly, as he makes new marks down the other’s collarbone. “J-jen,” He moans, “let me touch you too...”

Jeno unbuttons his own shirt and takes his bottoms off. Jaemin watches obsessively because _fuck, he’s so fucking hot_. Jaemin grabs him by the shoulders and reverses their positions. He places a kiss on the side of his mouth, as he lowers himself down, making sure the entire length of his body rubbed against Jeno’s erection. Jeno reacts with a hiss and then he feels warm breaths on his cock. He gasps when feels Jaemin’s mouth on him and struggles to hold in a moan when Jaemin goes down slowly... taking most of him in. Jeno looks down, their eyes meeting and _shit_ , does Jaemin look so hot right now. The first time Jaemin took him in his mouth, Jeno couldn’t last five minutes—the brunette looked at him the entire time and he was simply bewitched.

Jaemin makes a few sounds while his lips are still wrapped around his cock—sending sweet vibrations down and making Jeno lose the bit of control he had over his breathing. When Jaemin thinks he’s had enough, he rises from his position and Jeno immediately kisses him, tasting the salt mixed with his lover’s sweetness. “Jeno-ya,” Jaemin whispers against his ear again, he knows that Jeno gets sensitive from it. “C-can we do i-it?”

“Are you sure?” Jeno asks as he kisses the other’s shoulder. Jaemin nods surely, “Please...”

Jeno holds Jaemin by the waist and flips them again. Jaemin pulls his legs upwards, as Jeno shifts inbetween his legs. “Baby, are you really sure?”

“S-stop asking already...” Jaemin whimpers as Jeno rubs circles around his hole. “You know t-that I w-want this.”

Jeno’s heart feels like it’s about to come right out of his chest. He can’t believe this is happening. Jeno positions himself outside the other's entrance and “Jeno... stop staring,” Jaemin whines as he bucks his hip upwards, his hole brushing against the tip of Jeno’s cock.“H-hurry, or I’ll ask Lucas—aurgh!”

Jeno slams himself inside Jaemin and slowly pushes the remaining length inside. Jaemin lets out a loud cry, whimpering when he feels his insides stretch fully, taking in Jeno’s thick cock. “Don’t mention other names,” Jeno says in a low voice as he slowly retracts his cock to the tip, “when I’m fucking you, baby."

He slams in again as Jaemin clings onto his hips, Jaemin feels so full—so good. He brings his legs up even more, pulling Jeno closer. Jeno’s hit the spot right from the start, Jaemin doesn’t think he’ll last long as Jeno speeds up his pace. Jaemin forgets how to speak—forgets how to control his volume as he screams at every thrust Jeno makes. He sees the precum leaking from his untouched cock, and stops caring about anything else—he’s completely reduced to a screaming, moaning mess.

Jeno loves it all, he hears the words ‘faster’ and ‘please’ mixed in with moans and swears at the same time; he gleefully obeys, tirelessly thrusting in and out of the other’s entrance. He feels Jaemin’s wall contract and pull him in tight, and when it releases—so does Jaemin.

“Aahh—!” Jaemin pants as he keeps his legs spread for Jeno. His cum is all over his stomach, his hair is wet with sweat, his eyes close as his face contorts in pleasure, his lips part releasing all sorts of sounds that are music to Jeno’s ears—it’s such a heavenly sight and it’s _all for Lee Jeno_.

Jeno plants a kiss on his forehead and says in between breaths, “Nana—hh, you’re... hh.. so h-hot.”

Jaemin feels himself getting hard again, fuck, he feels so good and opens his eyes to another godly sight of Lee Jeno. His face is flushed as perspiration forms around his face, struggling to breathe as he slams inside him repeatedly. Jaemin wants him deeper, still, wants him closer. “C-come on, deeper, Jeno,” He pleads.

Jeno drops his pace and pushes himself deeper in the other, Jaemin lets out a high-pitched moan. He can feel it all to the bottom of his belly. “F-fuck,” He can’t keep his mouth from widening at how full he feels. Jaemin feels Jeno slip out of him and whines at the loss, “J-jen?”

“Turn around, baby,” The older instructs and so Jaemin does. “On your elbows, lift your ass for me.”

Jaemin complies without question, he wants it back inside him, and quick. “Jeno... put it back in..."

Jeno hummed a reply as he repositions himself against the other’s entrance. Jaemin feels the tip around the ring of his asshole and takes matters into his own hands, slamming himself backwards. “Nana,” Jeno groans, “You’re too impatient...”

Jaemin just moans, “I wanted this f-for s-so long—!”

Jeno thrusts again and again, forming a new pace as his lover loses himself beneath him. “How long, hm?”

Jaemin lets his moans take over, refusing to answer. Jeno raises a brow, “I asked, how long?”

Jeno maintains a murderous pace, he wouldn’t blame Jaemin for not being to answer but it is interesting to see Na Jaemin who’s always so straightforward and loud, so speechless and yet even _louder_. 

“Must be pretty long, huh?” Jeno teases as his grip tightens on Jaemin’s waist. Jaemin absent mindedly nods. Comprehension at this point is not an option for his brain, his legs begin to slide as they get weak and Jeno starts to slow down, going for longer and deeper strokes. Jaemin knows he’s almost at his limit—and he feels himself enjoy the sensual pace.His walls clench tighter this time and he lets out another loud moan as he comes untouched. He feels a strip of wetness trickle down his thighs as Jeno rides his own orgasm out.

Jaemin pants as he turns to lie on his back, Jeno collapsing on top of him.“I love you, Jeno,” He tells the other when he catches his breath.

“I love you, too, Jaemin.” Jeno lifts himself up to connect their lips again. They kiss lazily, with no tongue or aggression, just moving against each other’s lips and taking their time to savour the other.

“I wish I could stay...” Jaemin pouts.

“Then, stay." Jeno lets the other snuggle into his hold.

“I can’t, my mom’s already complaining that I spend too much time with you...”

Jeno chuckles, “I told you to at least have dinner with your mom—without me—every other day.”

Jaemin whines, “But your mom’s cooking is better... and if you’re not there, she won’t put in the effort!”

Jeno just laughs at the other’s dilemma.“By the way,” Jaemin props himself up on his elbow, “How are you so good...?”

“Hm?”

“In sex?”

Jeno flushes. “W-what? I just wanted to make you feel good...”

“Lies!” Jaemin calls, “I bet you had someone before me. Who were they?”

Jeno’s lips straighten in a thin line as he rolls his eyes, “Shut up,”

“How much porn did you watch?” Jaemin cheekily asks as he keeps on teasing his boyfriend. Jeno closes his eyes and feigns being asleep to which Jaemin pouts and hits him in the chest.

“Jaemin,” Jeno opens his eyes shortly after.

“Hm?”

“Renjun told me you had wet dreams about me when we were first years.”

Jaemin gasps and moves backwards—but he falls to the floor, “—Ow!”

“Nana!” Jeno immediately sits up and helps the other up. He laughs afterwards as Jaemin looks upset.

“I can’t believe he did that...” Jaemin sighs and looks genuinely upset and embarrassed, “I trusted him...”

He lies back down on the bed and starts kicking his legs like a child, “Ahhh! So embarrassing!”

“Nana,”

“What? I can’t even face you right now,” Jaemin covers his face with his hands.

“Nana, I was kidding.” Jaemin removes the hands from his face and his face turns even redder. “But now I know, haha.”

“Y-you!” He points at the other, “You’re an asshole!”

Jeno laughs as he wrestles on the bed with Jaemin. He wins after a solid minute because Jaemin surrenders quickly. “My butt hurts...”

They cuddle in bed for another half an hour before they clean themselves up and get dressed in new clothes. Jaemin is mildly upset because he isn’t staying the night, his mother had repeatedly reminded him to be present for dinner the entire day. “I’ll miss you..”

“Stop being clingy, and go home,” Jeno playfully pushes the other away.

Jaemin gives him a look of hurt, “I hate you!”

“Right,” Jeno closes the distance between them and gives him a peck on his nose, “I love you too.”

“Jeno,” Jaemin whines his name as he struggles to leave the room after having such a magical afternoon.

“Go eat with your mom, babo-ya,” Jeno chuckles as he opens the door for his boyfriend, “You’d only be five metres away.”

“See you tomorrow,” Jaemin jumps Jeno in another hug.

“see you, baby.”

_fin_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> out of all the parts, I feel like this one is the worst but regardless, I hope that everyone is satisfied and at least enjoyed this story to some extent. 
> 
> this story spent years in my head, more specifically ever since right after they debuted and appeared in NCT LIFE in Bangkok, I was totally hooked on the pair. I guess I've gotten lucky because they have so many moments together nowww, they're adorableee. I really liked the nerd x popular kid trope and I've always felt Jeno would be the kind of boyfriend that babies Jaemin a lot (doesn't he do that IRL tho kekeke) in a deleted 'scene', their petname is 'baby' bc once, when they watched a movie, Jeno was repeating after the male lead and said baby. Jaemin got super flustered afterwards and jeno teased him more until it stuck.
> 
> until next time!  
> please look forward to more of my fics in the near future.  
> thank you for the comments & support !!  
> please do stay safe :)


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